The NEWCOMEN Society (The International Society for the History of Engineering and Technology) and the Museum of Science and Industry (MOSI) are organising an International Conference entitled “The Piston Engine Revolution : 1850-1950”.The conference will review how the internal combustion engine came into being, how it was first commercialised for stationary power production, and how it gave rise to the automotive and aircraft industries. The focus will be on the engineering developments associated with the IC engine, and on the engineers, technicians and scientists who contributed to its success. Original papers are now sought, which will be published in a Conference Volume.

The Conference will be held in Manchester’s Museum of Science and Industry (MOSI). A half day visit will be made to the Anson Engine Museum, which has one of the best collections of stationary engines in Europe. The Conference will begin on Thursday evening, 14th April 2011, with a public lecture. On subsequent days, sessions will be given over to selected topics, including:

The scientific and technical thinking underlying early designs

Very early pioneers

Contributions of Lenoir, Otto, Diesel and Benz

Hot bulb engines in the UK and elsewhere

IC engine competitors (steam and hot air engines)

Formal R&D by research organisations and engine companies

Development of engines for road and air transport

Key stationary, automotive and aircraft engines

Building, running, and testing near scale and full scale engine replicas

Engine Museums in the UK, on the Continent, and elsewhere

Gaseous fuels from coal, coke, and wood

Liquid fuel development and specifications

Carburettors, spark plugs, igniters, and valves

Metallurgy and materials issues

Papers should be 6000 to 8000 words in length. Please send a short synopsis of 250 words of your proposed paper tothe Conference Secretary by 31st July 2010. The final date for submission of full papers is 31st January 2011.

We examined the content of topics that could be addressed in the Conference on the Piston Engine Revolution and there fugurano Barsanti and Matteucci that starting from 1853 are the first inventors of the internal combustion engine in the world. Above according to a study in which they are well documented 8 patents before that of Lenoir and 15 before that of Otto, as it appears in our publication of the book containing the pictures of the most important patents of Barsanti and Matteucci .
Yours sincerely
Barsanti and Matteucci Foundation